Wrapping up the community energy coordinator program

Tim Edgar, CSU extension agent

Posted:
08/11/2012 03:05:58 PM MDT

In 2010, CSU Extension competed for the opportunity to work with the then-Governor's Energy Office (GEO) in hosting the position of community energy coordinator state-wide. This position was funded by the GEO through stimulus dollars (federal ARRA monies), and was to act as a liaison between the GEO and the people of Colorado in "all things energy -- specifically, energy efficiency, energy conservation practices, and renewable energy needs." This might come in any capacity -- an individual, a farmer/rancher, a small business, or a municipality or region. It could be grant facilitation, Q & A, rebate assistance, or incentive tracking.

There were 16 positions available, and CSU Extension was awarded five -- one in the San Luis Valley, one in Custer/Fremont, one near Steamboat Springs, and two to cover the six northeastern counties. Hired to do that work were Rich Mullaney of Akron and Tim Edgar of Merino.

In partnership with the Logan/Morgan CSU Extension Offices and the Golden Plains Area Extension offices, Rich and I have spent the last 2.25 years representing "all things energy" in and through northeastern Colorado.

Our first responsibility was to develop an advisory board to help customize and localize the program, developing it into the service that best represents the need of the local area. Four goals were determined by this 26-person board from a diverse range of the six-county area. These goals were:

1. By June 2012, facilitate a minimum of 20 Energy Assessments and/or audits throughout the region to implement energy-efficiency technology /practices and to measure and report the changes in energy consumption.

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2. Identify a minimum of 15 contractors and/or tradesman in the region to increase their understanding of energy efficiency technologies and installation practices.

3. Provide education and outreach to the general public on energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy by June 2012.

4. Accomplish items as set forth in the contract with the Governor's Energy Office by June 2012.

In making the program local, we determined that 1) helping individuals get rebates, tax incentives and utility credits for resources that were available; 2) helping ag-based operations understand energy efficiency and implementation; and 3) helping small, local businesses benefit from cost-reduction from the largest cost known to small business - energy - were of top priorities within these goals.

Over the past 2.25 years, we have:

Represented energy needs to those three primary target audiences across 12 utility regions;

Gotten to know key-players in the industry;

Brought energy efficiency and conservation practices to the forefront;

Built a regional energy profile, and helped countless individuals, farmers/ranchers, small businesses, and municipalities pursue and receive benefit from the same.

Some of the direct impacts that we know of were:

Some of the direct impacts that we know of were:

Help Logan and Phillips Counties enter into an Energy mapping and performance agreement -- understanding how to account for where their energy goes, and how to use less of it;

Helped two agencies apply for energy-related grants;

Helped 23 agencies enter into energy performance contracting -- purchasing power at today's rate (after lowering usage) and locking it in for the next one to three decades;

Directly participated in helping residents of northeastern Colorado receive $257,369 in rebates from state of Colorado, plus countless thousands more directly from utilities;

Helped launch the Colorado Energy Master program -- which will run again in Logan County for the second year starting Sept. 6 -- contact me for info -- and had 85 blog posts.

This barely scratches the surface of what was accomplished over the last 2.25 years, but is the measurable aspect of what was done. Rich and I would like to thank the members of their advisory board, as well as all the community partnerships developed over the past 27 months for all their input, effort, and time.

Now the time has come to move forward. The GEO grant ended July 31. The GEO is now called the Colorado Energy Office. Funding streams for it have changed, including no funding for the community energy coordinator position. CSU Extension received 100 percent of its funding for the five coordinators from the GEO, so we were saddened when CSU Extension was not able to continue the funding for the position. The Steamboat position ended Dec. 31, 2011. The other four positions continued through July 31.

Locally, Rich Mullaney is now working with Agri-Tech Consulting providing ag-energy audits and training to local farmers, and to state Rural Development partners across the western third of the U.S. Rich is also working on a potential partnership with the now-named Colorado Energy Office to keep agricultural energy audits as a key component of their energy mix for 2012 and beyond.

I received a mini-grant to continue with CSU Extension for an additional three months, and will combine small business skills acquired in former jobs with the energy skills acquired while at CSU Extension, and teach entrepreneurs both business and energy skills to a group of 15 businesses / entrepreneurs. This is a combined effort of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, the Eastern Colorado Workforce Center, the Northeast-East Central Small Business Development Centers, and CSU Extension. If this interests you, we still have a few slots available for this course; please call me right away to inquire: (970) 522-3200, Ext. 276, as the course starts at the CSU Engagement Center in Sterling on Aug. 21. This additional funding is only through Oct. 31.

CSU Extension would like to keep me and re-activate Rich in our CEC positions, and is open to doing so if additional funding sources for their positions are identified. If you have any suggestions for funding sources to keep the CEC position funded through CSU Extension, please also let me know.